# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1850 03 19_S119
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

119

all shame, and do whatever they can think of. Therefore the heathen also rightly punished and cursed drunkenness, as that which is contrary to the nature of man and does so much harm.

But this is nowhere yet the chief point and foremost evil of this vice. The Holy Scripture teaches us of such sins as follow upon drunkenness, which the heathen could neither see nor recognize. For thus preaches and says the Son of God, the high Majesty, our dear LORD JESUS Christ Himself: "Take heed to yourselves," says He, Luke 21, 34, "lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness," etc. And St. Paul, 1 Cor. 6, 10: "Drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Likewise Eph. 5, 18: "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess." So Hosea says a very hard word: "Whoredom," says he, chap. 4, 11, "and wine take away the heart."

Look diligently upon these and like sayings, take them well to heart, and think upon them aright, and you will find and perceive that drunkenness is not only an ugly and shameful vice, but also brings the greatest danger and harm. For if a physician so diligently warns people against this vice, dissuades and holds them back from it, because it burdens the head, inflames the body, and gives cause to many countless diseases; how much greater and graver is the harm and mischief that drunkenness not only burdens the heart, but also steals the heart, that is, takes away the fear of God, makes hearts secure, kindles the lusts that strive against God's commandment, takes away the knowledge of God, makes us unfit and unwilling for prayer and for calling upon God, and, that I may say it in one word: the image and likeness of God, which is kindled and shines in the heart through the Word and through faith, this they besmear altogether, as though defiled with filth and dung.

Hence come and follow the horrible, cruel cases, of which one sees and hears examples daily, that many of them perish easily from trifling causes. Many fall unawares into great and grievous sin, so that they do not even know how. For it is true, as the Greek poet says: Drunkenness is a great and sufficient cause for sinning; for it makes body and soul defenseless, faint and sick. Therefore this harmful enemy, who lays snares on every side, heaps and overwhelms the drunkards without any trouble, with ease, with all evil, misery and misfortune, as he himself wills.

Yes, there is a much greater, more grievous and more terrible evil remaining, that, as St. Paul says, 1 Cor. 6, 10, drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Therefore we should not only guard ourselves against drunkenness and flee it, but also, as Christ exhorts, Luke 21, 36, Matt. 26, 41, "always and without ceasing watch and pray, that we enter not into temptation."

So you have what the Holy Scripture thinks of drunkenness, how and what it teaches and preaches concerning it. But it is useful and good that one also consider along with this what further harm drunkenness brings, both to body and to goods. To the body it brings many sudden and deadly diseases, makes it unfit and unfitted for the very least and lightest works, offices and services, and overwhelms and ruins the ingenium and the natural understanding altogether. And it happens, as the fine heathen Seneca says, that the infirmities, vices and wickedness which a man has taken in and imbibed through wine in drinking, remain and continue even without wine, that is, when one is sober again and has not been drinking. Therefore Pythagoras also rightly said that drunkenness is a constant exercise in madness. For this befalls the drunkards, that they are always regarded and held as mad and insane.

Of Sophocles it is said that he used to rebuke the poet Aeschylus on account of his constant drunkenness. For though he makes good verses, yet they are not praiseworthy, said he; for he does it without knowing. For it is certain that drunken people, like cattle, have neither understanding nor reason, cannot so direct their thoughts as to consider great, weighty matters properly and with earnestness. Therefore, when they do something good and carry it out rightly, that happens more by chance, by accident and by mere luck, than with deliberation, or from special understanding and skill; since neither of these can be in drunkards.

But to goods it brings no small harm. For as Jesus Sirach says, chapter 19, 1: "A laboring man that is given to drunkenness shall not be rich," not only because he cannot bear the expense, but also because God cannot endure the shameful abuse of such a precious and wholesome gift.

Therefore our Germans are blind, mad and godless people, that they have so great desire and love for this harmful and offensive evil and vice, and entice and allure others to it as they can, regardless of the salvation of their souls, and the welfare of body, honor and goods, which must certainly stand in the highest danger.

But pious, upright Christians and God-fearing hearts have these sayings of the Scripture ever before their eyes and in their hearts; and because they hear from the prophet that drunkards are punished with failure of the crops and with dearth, they use God's gifts with thanksgiving, moderately and soberly; not to excess, to feast and revel, or for show; but for the necessity of the body. Thus they will not only escape the great, horrible punishments, but also receive sure reward for their piety and godliness, rejoice over God's blessing, and be glad therein. But the others, who make light of and despise such earnest preaching of the LORD Christ, of the prophets and apostles, are fine fellows, and cling to this vice; these no one shall hold for true Christians, but for painted and mouth-Christians.

To the Electoral College of the Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other States.

In accordance with the call which the present President of our Synod, Pastor Walther, addressed in the "Lutheraner," Volume 6, No. 6, to the Electoral College concerned, several votes have come in, according to which the following are put forward as candidates for the vacant professorship at the Seminary at Fort Wayne: 1) Pastor Biewend; 2) Pastor Brohm; and 3) Pastor Crämer.

Those members of the Electoral College who have not yet voted are hereby called upon by the undersigned to send in their votes to him by the 15th of May of this year. At the same time he requests those congregations which wish to make use of their right to propose a person as candidate for the said professorship, or to protest against one or another of the persons put forward (see Synodal Report of 1848, p. 16, § 10), likewise to do so by the 15th of May. Communications relating to the election which are made of a later date than the 15th of May, 1850, will remain unconsidered.

All letters relating to the election I request to be sent to me under the address of Pastor C. F. W. Walther, St. Louis, Mo.

C. J. H. Fick,
Secretary pro tem. of the Electoral College.

Recently Adopted Resolutions of the Lutheran Conference held under Harleß at Leipzig.

These resolutions were, as we learn from an exchange, as follows:

1) The Conference declares that agreement in the confession is the essential foundation of the Church. Equality of church institutions and constitutions, on the other hand, it regards indeed as a desirable fruit, but not as a condition of church fellowship, provided that a constitution does not make the validity and maintenance of the confession impossible.

2) The necessity of withdrawing from a hitherto existing established church arises only when, on the part of the church government, acts of legislation take place by which the confession is altered, and for the repeal of which all legal steps have been tried in vain.

3) The Conference regards that which is called Inner Mission as a Christian work of love-